As you might’ve noticed by the date of my last post, my music writing days have been sorely lacking. I thought I just needed a little break, but it turns out I’m happier hangin’ it up. Happier in the sense that I have a little more free time on my hands to spend doing things that I feel are a little more constructive. But before I disappear into the ether, I just wanted to say a quick thank you for reading and listening - especially those of you who’ve been with me since the beginning (Jan. ‘09). I’ve put together a final mix which you can download below, followed by my long overdue lists of favorite albums, EPs and songs of 2012. So long, my friends. It’s been real.
Waving a warm goodbye with the ends of all eight extremities,
-OW-
Octopus Windmill Mixxxtape #6 (Click to download)
Tracklist:
1. Rhye - The Fall
2. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Swim and Sleep (Like A Shark)
3. Foxygen - Shuggie
4. Helado Negro - Dance Ghost
5. Solange - Losing You
6. Chris Cohen - Rollercoaster Rider
7. Seapunk Bummer - SlutXFriend
8. Houtakker - Judy, Judy
9. Angel Olsen - Sweet Dreams
10. Daughn Gibson - Reach Into the Fire
11. Youth Lagoon - Dropla
12. The Revival Hour - Hold Back
13. Nightlands - So Far So Long
14. Amor de Días - Jean’s Waving
15. Earl Grant - The End
Photograph by Henry Cosmo Tertius Greaves | | Layout by Ennio Franco Danieli
Still available (until downloads run out):
Mixxxtape #1
Mixxxtape #2
Mixxxtape #3
Mixxxtape #4
Mixxxtape #5
Favorite Albums of 2012 (in alphabetical order):
Beach House - Bloom
Chris Cohen - Overgrown Path
Mac DeMarco - 2/Rock and Roll Night Club
Daughn Gibson - All Hell
Grizzly Bear - Shields
Here We Go Magic - A Different Ship
Lambchop - Mr. M
Angel Olsen - Half Way Home
Tame Impala - Lonerism
Wooden Constructions - People Now People
Honorable Mention Albums of 2012 (in alphabetical order):
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes
Bro. Stephen - Baptist Girls
DIIV - Oshin
Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
Guided By Voices - Class Clown Spots a UFO
Richard Hawley - Standing at the Sky’s Edge
Helvetia - Nothing In Rambling
Damien Jurado - Maraqopa
Kindness - World, You Need A Change of Mind
Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid M.A.A.D. City
Liars - WIXIW
Magic Trick - Ruler of the Night
Pye Corner Audio - Sleep Games
Sleeping Bag - Women of Your Life
Michael James Tapscott with Andrew Kenower - Good Morning, Africa
Tindersticks - The Something Rain
The Walkmen - Heaven
Matthew E. White - Big Inner
Wild Nothing - Nocturne
Sam Willis - Winterval
Winslow - Winslow
Favorite EPs of 2012 (in alphabetical order):
Burial - Kindred/Truant
Evenings - Unreleased Collection
Odawas - EverythingIsChemical Virtual 7” No. 26
Pure Bathing Culture - Pure Bathing Culture
The Revival Hour - Clusterchord
Daniel Rossen - Silent Hour/Golden Mile
Solange - True
Favorite Songs of 2012 (in alphabetical order):
Daughn Gibson - Rain On a Highway
Grizzly Bear - Half Gate
Here We Go Magic - How Do I Know
Angel Olsen - Free
Solange - Losing You
Wild Nothing - Through the Grass
Special Thanks and Love to the Following Supportive Friends/Blogs I Admire:
Belmont Bookings (Love you Belmonsters. Thanks for everything.)
Cartelle
Ennio Franco Danieli
Disco Naïveté
Flannelgraph Records
Marathonpacks
Carmel McNamara
Mperfect
My Old Kentucky Blog
Over Muziek
Sounds Good To Me Too
TwentyFourBit
YVYNYL
Wilkerton
On September 11th, Brushfire Records will release Palindrome Hunches, the third solo album from Slowdive / Mojave 3 frontman Neil Halstead. The first single, “Full Moon Rising”, is right on par with the best of the slow burning folk-pop ballads that dominate his previous solo ouput - warm, restrained and pretty as hell. Check it out below and head over here to download a free mp3 of the track.
Neil Halstead - “Full Moon Rising”
Portland, Oregon pop duo Pure Bathing Culture, which consists of Vetiver guitarist and keyboardist Daniel Hindman and Sarah Versprille, respectively, have revealed a second single from their recently released self-titled EP. Built around the rhythm of what sounds like a drum machine submerged in water, “Lucky One” falls on the ears like a coconut from a palm tree, knocking you into some sort of tropical-tinged daze that you hope to never snap out of.
Pure Bathing Culture - “Lucky One”
The Pure Bathing Culture EP is out now on Father/Daughter Records. Snag your copy on 12” vinyl here and check out the EP’s sun-soaked first single, “Ivory Coast”, below.
Pure Bathing Culture - “Ivory Coast”
In preparation for his new album, Feel Me, due out August 28th via Friends of Friends, LA-based producer Jasper Patterson, aka Groundislava, has revealed a new 5-track EP titled TV Dream. For the title track, described as “an ebullient ode to a friendship’s inception drenched in summery vibes and ghostly playfulness”, Patterson has once again enlisted the boundless talents of Clive Tanaka, who lends his soothing, vocoder-enveloped vocals to the dreamy, synth-laden ballad.
Groundislava - “TV Dream” (Feat. Clive Tanaka)
Stream the TV Dream EP in its entirety here and look out for Feel Me to drop via Friends of Friends on August 28th.
Previously:
Clive Tanaka Reveals “All Night, All Right”
Clock Opera - “Once And For All” (Clive Tanaka Remix)
Clive Tanaka Y Su Orquesta - “Neu Chicago”
Jagjaguwar ain’t the type to sit around and pat themselves on the back. Sure, they’re receiving Record Label of the Year awards and releasing Grammy Award-winning records these days, but what I’ve always found most appealing about the label and their affiliates (Secretly Canadian, Dead Oceans) is that they’d rather change the subject and tell you about something new that they’re excited about. For many labels, that’s the definition of success - having the freedom to take risks and being able to give up-and-comers a chance to blossom. Yet, somehow, each new act Jagjaguwar introduces feels more like a sure thing than a roll of the dice.
Take one listen to “Make It Known”, the first single from latest signees Foxygen, and you’ll hear what I mean. Despite their young age (Sam France and Jonathan Rado are both 22), the duo already sounds like a couple of road-worn rock veterans who grew up being encouraged to file their Ariel Pink and Devendra Banhart records on the same shelves as their parent’s Stones and Seeds records. Have a listen and snag a free mp3, courtesy of the A.V. Club, below. The track will appear on the band’s forthcoming, self-produced Take The Kids Off Broadway EP, which was mixed wth a little help from Richard Swift.
Foxygen - “Make It Known”
Pre-order Take The Kids Off Broadway and stream the EP in its entirety at Foxygen’s Bandcamp. Out July 24th on vinyl and digital formats via Jagjaguwar.
UPDATE: Foxygen has released a second track from their forthcoming EP, which you can download below. While “Make It Known” recalls the youthful grit of early Stones, Waitin’ 4 U” seems to get its influences from My Aim Is True-era Elvis Costello and The Beatles’ a la “Don’t Let Me Down”. In other words, it’s more of that classic-with-a-fresh-twist-sound that has me even more eager to hear what else these guys are capable of.
Foxygen - “Waitin’ 4 U”
VIDEO: Foxygen - “Make It Known”
